Power-driven toothbrush with demountably supported rotary brushes



Jan. 29, 1952 A 1 SCHLEGEL 2,583,886

POWER-DRIVEN TOOTHBRUSH WITH DEMOUNTABLY SUPPORTED ROTARY BRUSHES Filed OC. 17, 1947 Inventor 14mm (L5M zye Atlorneys Patented Jan. 29, 1952 POWER-DRIVEN TOTHBRUSH WITH DEMOUNTABLY SUPPORTED RO'- 'rAnr BRUSHES p f Alvin J. Schlegel, Wichita, Kans.

t Application octoteriv, 1947, Serial No; 780,375

This invention relates to a driven rotary toothbrush adapted for use in efficiently and properly cleaning the teeth and more particularly has reference to a rotary toothbrush of extremely simple construction capable Aof being driven from a suitable power source for revolving two rotary brushes in opposite directions so that in operation the two brushes f will simultaneously clean the upper and lower teeth in a correct and approved manner and by the movement of the bristles of the brushes longitudinally away from the gums. i y

More particularly, an aim of the invention is to provide a rotary toothbrushnadapted tobe actuated by an electric motor` contained Within the handle portion thereof for simultaneously driving the two rotary brushes in opposite directions.

A still further object` of the invention is to provide a rotary toothbrush having a `novel brush containing head by means of` which the rotary brushes may be readily removed and replaced.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presenthr preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein: A j. Y Y

Figure 1 is a top plan view,l partly inA section of the rotary toothbrush;

Figure 2 is a side elevationalvview thereof; y

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by line 3-.-3 of Figure 2; ,l y

Figure Ll is anendlevational view looking toward the head" of the brush;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the detachable head section of the brush, and j Y Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of another portion of the rotary toothbrush.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the rotary toothbrush comprising the invention is designated generally 1 and includes a housing, designated generally 8 which may be formed of plastic or any other suitable material and which includes a hollow handle portion 3 in which is flxedly positioned a small electric motor I having a driven shaft II projecting from one end thereof towards an enlarged, open inner end of the handle 9 and to which is keyed a pinion I2. The opposite, outer end of the handle 9 is provided with a boss I3 through which the electric conductors I4, connected to the motor I0 extend and which are adapted to be connected to any suitable source of electric current. not shown, such as a conventional electrical outlet, for energizing 1 claim; (cl. `15-23) the motor I0. The housing 8 also includes an elongated, substantially dat hollow shank I5 which is provided with a substantially circular head I8 adjacent one end thereof which is threadedly connected, detachably at I1 through the enlarged open inner end of the handle 9. 'The head I6 is provided with a wall or partition I8 through which spaced bushings or bearings I9 extend' and in which are journaled the shafts 20 and 2 I. The shafts 20 and 2l have meshing gears 22 keyed thereto and disposed in the hollow outer end of the head I6 and said shaft 20 extends beyond the gears 22 into the handle 9 and has a gear 23 keyed thereto which meshes with the pinion I2 so that the shafts 20 and 2l are driven by the motor shaft I I and in opposite directions, The shank I5 is provided adjacent its opposite end with a transverse wall 24 having openings 25 extending therethrough in which are journaled corresponding coupling members 26 which aresuitably connected to or formed integral with the opposite ends of the Shafts 20 and 2I and which are provided at their outer ends with flattened extensions or key 21. t

The housing 8 also includes a brush head, designated generally 28 formed of sections 29 and 30. The section 29 preferably forms an integral extension of the last mentioned end of the shank I5 and includes a bottom portion andupwardly curved side walls 3 I. The section 30 comprises a bottom 32 the upper side of which is longitudinally grooved at 33, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3 and as seen in 32. Section 3D also includes upwardly curved side walls 34 and an outer end wall 35.` The head section 30 nts into the head section 29 and with the bottom 32 thereof resting on the bottom of the section 23, as seen in Figure 3 and with the side walls 34 disposed Within the side walls 3|. The side walls 3l are provided with inwardly opening recesses or indentations 36 and the side walls 34 are provided with outwardly projecting teats or projections 31. The walls 3l and 34 are preferably resilient so that the teats 31 can project into the indentations 36 for detachably connecting the head sections 29 and 30 and by spreading the walls 3I said projections 31 can be disengaged from the indentations 36 for disconnecting said head section 30. A pair of rotary brushes 38 are disposed longitudinally within the head section 30 and substantially concentrically of the longitudinal grooves 33 thereof, into which portions of the brushes 38 proj ect and said brushes include shafts 33 which extend axially therethrough and which have corresponding ends thereof journaled in bearing portions 40 of the 'the electric current, it will beY readily obvious that said brushes will be revolved by the `shafts 20 and V2| in opposite directions as indicated byY It will also be apparent` arrows 42 in FigureV 3. that approximately a half of each of the brushes 38 projects frorn the open y'side of the headiZBf and is in an exposed position so that when the brush head 28 is placed Within the mouth the` exposed half ofk one of tlife brushes 38 will engagethereover for Wettingj or rinsing the brushes.

Itiwillalso be 'readily apparent that the head section :30 and brushes v38 carried thereby may beremoved andreplaced by another head section 30 `containing lbrushes38 and the detached head sections 2 9 and 30 maybe effectively cleaned and' maintained in a sanitary condition; Because *ofV the detachability of the head sections and the ease with which they may becleaned, diierent users, each with his 'own 'head section 30 and vbrushes carried thereby, may utilize ,the remainder of the toothbrush l.

"Various modi'cations "and changes are con? templ'ated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter dened by the'appe'nded claim.

1 AI-claim as niy'invention: Y

cluding-an 'elongated shank portion, a pair of shafts extending longitudinally through and journaled in the shank portion, Vrneansgdriving said shaftsin opposite directions, ahead formingan end Vof thehousingandprojecting from one end'of the shank portion and into which 'correi A sponding'ends of the shafts extend, said head having anopen top and including a demountable section and asection formed integral with the shank portionjeach of said head sections includ- A rotary toothbrush comprising a housing in#-v ing a bottom and upwardly extending outwardly bowed side walls, said demountable section having an outer endvprovided with an integral end wall having .laterally spaced bearing openings and an open opposite innerend, said integral head'section having an inner end closed by said end 0f .the shank portion and having an open fo'ut'e'r .ndirthfoug'h which theieinfountable head section is inserted into or removed from the integral head section, a pair of rotary brushes disposed in the demountable head section each incldi'ngia shaft, corresponding ends of said brush shaftsfbein'g `journaled in said bearing openings for supporting and journaling the rotary brushesV in the demountable head section, saidside walls`V of the head sections being resilient, the side walls V"of thelclemointable head section having outwardly vprojecting studs, the side walls Yof the integralheadsection having openings to receive the studs for detachably latching the demountable jhead section in the Yintegral headse'ctiom said -rs't Ymentioned shafts and said brush shafts having adjacent ends provided with "interengafging tongue and groove means for keying the 'first mentioned shafts to the brush shafts, said demountablehead sectionbeing insertable into and removable from integral "head section in l directions longitudinally of "-the shank portion for coupling and uncoupling' the rst Vmentioned shafts and the 'brush 'shaftsfand said interengaging studs and openings of `AAthe side vwalls latching the head sections together and the first mentioned shafts Van'dlast mentioned shafts vvin coupled engagement, the ,outer end of the '-demountable head section forming vthe outer end of 'said head. Y

" ALVIN YJ. SCHLEGEL.V

REFERENCES YCITED The Vfollowing references are of record inthe nie of this patent:

VUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name :Date

1,172,792 Hammel Feb. -242, 1916 1,340,093 Wes'thafer Mayll, 1920 1,434,436 Goi Now-7, A11922- 1503,050 Jurk et al. f July 29,1924 1,510,116 Van Meter f Sept. 30, -1924 1,620,990 Brothers Mar. y15,"192'7 y1,901,503 lFess'e'niien Mar.1'4,.1933 2,044,344 ABignall .June 16, 1936' 2,124,145 Merkel July ll-9, 193

FREIGN `PATENTS Number Country Date 631,543 France Dec. 22, 1927 656,246 

